[Jeff Higgins]

So, I was out riding the old Sportster yesterday when I ran into a bit of trouble with it. The hose clamp securing the return line to the oil tank had cut the hose, causing it to leak. I didn't notice this, of course, until the whole back of the bike, including the tire, were covered in oil. Not knowing what was going on, I pulled into a grocery store parking lot to see what was up. I was looking at one hell of a mess to clean up, and a more involved repair than it might sound like. I figured I would start by cleaning while the bike cooled down enough to work on it, so I went into the store to see what was available, and wound up buying a spray bottle of 409 and a dish brush. It was the best they had by way of a "degreaser".

I used about half the bottle in an effort to clean up the back of the bike and, more importantly, that rear tire. It wasn't all that effective. But, well, it had cooled down and was clean enough by now to begin looking for the leak. Once I located it I knew I was in for a bit of a job. Not the most accessible place on the bike, especially with the limited tools in my kit.

About that time a guy pulled up on an Electra Glide and asked if I needed help. I told him I had tools, thought I could fix it, but the oil tank looked all but empty. "No problem", he said, and rode off to get me some oil from the nearest Harley shop, some ten miles away. So I went to work. It was going to be a real bear with the tools I had on hand, with the offending fitting buried behind the rear cylinder and its exhaust pipe.

Then I heard another voice behind me (I was crouched next to the bike) "need help? I have a truck full of tools". And, sure enough, he had everything I needed to do this job rather more easily than I could have with what I had. That, and he had some industrial strength degreaser that proved to do a far better job than that 409.

I wound up cutting about 1/2" off the end of the hose, which had split, and reattaching it to the fitting. About the time I was done the other guy was back with the oil. I paid him for that, poured it in, and kicked her to life. High fives all around, hearty thanks from me, and all of that.

These guys took well over an hour out of their day to help a guy they didn't even know and would likely never see again. Guys like them are still out there, maybe not as common as we once were, but they are out there. I think in times like this we could all use a big heaping dose of guys like them. They turned what was kind of a real bummer into a real positive. Made my day.